Treat
by samtana
Summary: A belated Halloween story. Featuring Zuko. Sort of.


Somewhere on the publication guidelines it says I'm not allowed to use real people in my stories. So I changed the name of my main character to hide his identity. It's pretty ambiguous anyway, but see if you can guess who I had in mind. This story takes place completely in our world and features entirely outside characters, so if you're not into that stuff you should still read. Why not?

I don't own Avatar. In case it wasn't clear.

**Treat**

Fred sat comfortably in his living room, reading a book to the offbeat rhythm of the fire cackling in the fireplace. There was a light wind blowing outside, sending leaves scattering randomly about his lawn. He preferred it this way, even if this meant he would need to don the rake once again and clear away the thin brown symbols of fall before snow began to fall. He preferred it because this was a night where the house was supposed to look disheveled. The disorganized leaves matched the fake spider webs and spooky noisemakers that characterized the temporary ornamentations of his house.

Fred was reading Harry Potter, the first book in the series. He was reading this book in particular because he knew it so well it wouldn't matter very much if he was interrupted while reading. And he knew he would be interrupted because this was a night of interruptions.

Above the popping of the firewood and the turning of pages Fred could hear footsteps clunking on his front porch, approaching the door. He placed a bookmark between the pages and lay the book on the arm of his chair, just below a large framed poster of an Avatar: The Last Airbender season three poster. The doorbell rang melodiously as Fred grabbed a bowl of chocolate bars and made his way towards the front of the house.

The wind blew at his feet when he opened the door, his eyes greeted by a quasi-familiar image that surprised and delighted him.

"I am searching for the Avatar to restore my honor, peasant," said the small kid with an unbearably cute attempt to make his voice gruff. "Tell me where he is or I will be forced to take your candy!"

The kid wore a plastic red war uniform and a skin-tight hat that sported an economic ponytail. The cap covered his left eye and was dyed red around the hole that allowed him so see. He carried two plastic broad swords, one in each hand.

Fred hadn't smiled so broadly since he had first been published.

"The Avatar?" he asked, trying to sound perplexed through his elation. "I don't know if I've seen him. What does he look like?"

"He's a bald monk with a tattoo of a blue arrow on his forehead," growled the kid adorably. "He's traveling with a giant flying bison and two water tribe peasants."

Fred scratched his chin with joy, feigning contemplation. "That sounds sort of familiar," he said. "Wait here. I'll go look," he said, withdrawing from the doorframe and back into the warm house.

"You could just give me some candy instead," called the kid after him. Fred chuckled to himself, trying to stay as soft as he could so the kid couldn't hear over the howling wind and rustling leaves. He eyed the endless collection of unopened Avatar DVD's that the network had sent him over the years, leaning against each other for support on the bookshelf. He reached for the third season collection, but decided against giving his serendipitous fan the gratuitous gift, his hand resting pleasantly on a DVD box set.

He returned to the door, smiling again when he saw the Zuko costume. He shrugged. "Sorry, couldn't find him." He handed the kid three chocolate bars, two more than he was giving to al the others. "I wish you the best of luck finding him, Prince Zuko."

"Jimmy! Say thank you!" The distant voice of the boy's mother blew through the doorway with the wind.

"Thank you," said the kid, falling out of his Zuko voice but still managing to remain adorable. He turned to go, and Fred considered throwing a phrase from the show out after him, to demonstrate his vast knowledge of the show he was so crucial to. But he thought the better of it, and simply closed the door instead, keeping the cold air outside, the sound of the wind muted. He picked up his book again but failed to open it, laughing heartily to himself until a fairy and a pumpkin rang the doorbell a few minutes later.

----------------------------------------------

I'd been planning this for a while now. It would be so wonderful if something like this ever were to happen to me. Sigh! In dreams alone....

I saw four Jokers on Halloween within ten minutes, but not once did I see an costume from Avatar. I was really looking forward to it, too.

-samtana


End file.
